“The conversation has more levels”: exploring Zoom’s text chat as a discussion mediator in middle school teachers’ online professional development

Abstract

This study examined the role of text-based discussions in mediating middle school teachers’ discussions during a semester-long, online, synchronous professional development sequence. The PD sequence involved teachers engaged in weekly Zoom meetings, during which they learned about digital literacy and designed curricula. Qualitative data analysis of the transcripts of Zoom chats and spoken comments revealed three central findings: text-based chatting a) provided an additional, public mode for participants to mediate thinking and collaboration, b) allowed for multilayered, democratic, and more equitable access to the conversation, and c) served as an informal space where participants built community through playful discourse. The findings highlight the potential of multimodal, multilayered discussion spaces for facilitating collaborative thinking and more equitable discussion access for learners.

Keywords:

• professional development
• computer-mediated discourse
• online collaboration
• multimodal discussion
• videoconferencing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brady L. Nash

Brady L. Nash is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. His research focuses on digital literacies and teacher education.

Allison Zengilowski

Allison Zengilowski earned her PhD in educational psychology from UT Austin. She is now a postdoctoral scholar with the Center for Mind & Brain at UC Davis.

Diane L. Schallert

Diane L. Schallert is Professor Emeritus in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas. Her research examines teachers’ and students’ comprehension, identity, and affect, most recently as these processes intersect with learning in online contexts.